7:00 – 9:00 PM: Benefit concert! Live at the Grange Hall, and Live-Streamed too!

Atlantic Crossing plus The Turning Stile perform to benefit the Montpelier Contra Dance and the Friends of the Grange Hall!

In this season of the year, with dancing still not a safe activity, we are pleased to announce that these great Vermont musicians will be playing outside at the Grange Hall, for your listening pleasure!   And we will be streaming the concert for all those who want to hear the music but don’t want to join the crowd.   The weather forecast is great–dry and warm, so we hope you can join us!    And don’t forget to donate–just click the “Support the Hall” tab at the top of the page!

HERE’S HOW TO GET A ZOOM LINK:

Click here:  https://vsc.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZElfu2gqTsiHdW1qQHM_uFg1KzZ-O85Pcbx 

Atlantic Crossing, featuring Peter MacFarlane, Viveka Fox and Rick Klein, has been “rocking the contra dance halls of New England and beyond” and also “entrancing concert audiences” for well over two decades.   Their music is drawn from Celtic traditions of the British Isles, as well as from Maritime and French Canada, and from Vermont singing traditions.

At the many contra dances these talented musicians have played in our Hall, we’ve been stirred by their dance music.   Here’s a chance to hear their concert repertoire!  You can read more about them, learn about their seven albums, and listen to musical clips at their website:  https://www.atlanticcrossingvt.com/

The Turning Stile, featuring Joanne Garton and Aaron Marcus are also familiar faces and marvelous musicians on the contra dance stages of New England and beyond.   Here’s a chance to hear them in a concert setting!   Joanne on fiddle, and multi-instrumentalist Aaron on keyboards, concertina, banjo and feet produce a vast variety of musical styles.  You can read more about them on Joanne’s website:  https://www.joannegarton.com/projects.html

This concert will be held outside at the Grange Hall.  Right now (Friday 9/3) the weather looks as if it will be dry and pleasant!  Check back here for updates as we watch the weather predictions.

ADMISSION to the concert will be by donation:  you choose the amount!  Concert admission will go to pay the bands:  we want to support some the musicians who have been hit hard by the pandemic over the last year and a half.

     Suggested admission rates:

        Adults:  $12.00

         Low income:  $5.00

         Dance  & Grange Supporters:  $20.00 (or more of course!)

          Note:  these rates match what the CDU is planning for admission rates, once we can re-start dances at the Grange.   We will need to raise our admissions for all those who can afford it, to recoup some of the financial support we have given the Grange during this time of no dancing.   We are happy to retain the same rate for those who are low income, as we want everyone to be able to come!

          NOTE:  the Grange Hall will be open for access to bathrooms and water fountains–but we ask you to wear your mask when indoors,following VT Dept. of Health recommendations.

In addition, this concert serves as this year’s “Challenge Fundraiser”, a CDU tradition.   We are asking for donations to match a “Challenge” amount of $2,000, which has already been pledged by some generous and dedicated supporters of the dance and the Hall.   This fundraiser will benefit the Montpelier Contra Dance and the Hall!

Donations can be made online, or at the concert by check or cash.    Checks should be made out to:  Friends of the Capital City Grange Hall (FCCGH).   Online donations can be made at any time, at:  www.capitalcitygrange.org/donate

For those who choose to attend this concert via Zoom, the same link for donations will be posted in the Chat.    We need to solicit these donations to keep the Hall and the dance strong–as we all know, we can’t yet tell when we will be back to more normal operations.

The FCCGH is a 501(c)(3) charitable corporation, so all donations will be tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law.  If you want to mail a check, please do!   The FCCGH mailing address is:  PO Box 192, Northfield Falls VT  05664.

We are not able to  have a “Dessert Potluck” as we have had in the past, at the culmination of the Challenge Fundraiser.   Please bring your own refreshments for this event.

The Contra Dance Umbrella has been subsidizing the Grange during this extended period of non-dancing; usually they organize the Montpelier Contra Dance series–and will again!

The FCCGH supports the Grange, and works with the Grange to plan, fundraise for and carry out construction projects and improvements at the Grange Hall.   You can read more about their work (and donate anytime!) at:  https://capitalcitygrange.org/donate/  Check out the new doors and the new exhaust fan installed this year when you come to the Hall.